Life As A Fox
Chapter 50
NSW-The Forsaken Author of the Lost Story (see my bio for explanation)
OMG I MADE IT TO 50! THIS CALLS FOR CELEBRATION! ALL OF YOU TAKE A LOVING BOX OF POCKY AND ENJOY THE NEXT CHAPTER!
A bird flew high in the sky, wings outstretched as they surfed the winds and drifted on the air. He let out a wild call as he expressed himself as a bird might do, relishing in the fact that he had his own domain and kingdom. One who's throne steps reached far away from the pitiful flightless animals of the earth. He spied down upon a long line of travelers, the four legged beasts of the forest, hunters of the land, the ones who carved into the night air with their eerie and beautiful howls.
They walked in a single file line, following each other. They had to, they walked on treacherous ground. On their search for a home they decided to cross over into the next valley. The quickest way was through a steep and dangerous pass that few creatures used, even mountain goats and mountain deer thought twice before ascending or descending such a trail.
It was a thin trail made completely out of loose shale rock that twisted and slipped beneath their paws. On top of that, it was situated at the top of a steep hill, which inclined into a dangerous cliff drop off. The wolf pack guarded each step carefully moving slow, the most sure footed of wolves carried the pups in their mouths.
When a wolf tripped or slid, which happened quite often the others behind that wolf stopped and waited patiently for them, they knew haste would only make things worse. Naruto walked second to last, Dirtsnout behind him. She clattered among the rocks noisily. Naruto kept an eye on her making sure she didn't slip up to much.
Naruto looked to Blackpelt in lead, Naruto at the moment did not care for this wolf, he lead them so foolishly into such a dangerous situation, knowing that their lives could be forfeited because of his hurry to find a new den and food. No alpha should risk the lives of their pack so recklessly. Naruto slipped up, he caught himself as he watched the rocks cause a mini-avalanche down the hill side.
It was then realized that he had started to view and worry about the pack as if it was his own, somehow he had passed the threshold of wanting to forget he was a leader, now he felt like being a leader again, he felt like he needed to protect something, that something was in danger, he just assumed it was this wolf pack.
He regained his footing then continued on, one of the pups whimpered as the wolf holding him slipped. The pack all stopped at it's frail sound. Naruto growled lowly to himself "is something the matter?" Dirtsnout asked quietly behind him "no alpha, should risk lives, of young" Dirtsnout was silent for a bit as she concentrated on her footing.
She spoke up after a few feet more "my brother kin, is very brave, he cares about pack greatly, do not say such things about him" Naruto sighed and continued on. But then Dirtsnout stepped on a sharp rock that dug deeply into her pad. She yelped and her body immediately reacted by jumping slightly. This caused her to slip form the path then slide down the hill, as a torrent of rocks slid beneath her feet.
Naruto reached for her on instinct, taking her scruff in his jaws and trying to pull her to safety. But this only managed to get pulled down with her. His heart raced as he slid at an uncontrollable speed down the hill. Luckily there was a large rock that was randomly and thankfully in the middle of their trajectory path.
They caught themselves on it and regained their nerve and breath. They turned to the wolf pack, they stood watching them, calling out to them. Naruto barked back to them then began to crawl his way up the hill. Dirtsnout followed suit. But Naruto soon found out the hill was just too steep, an impossible climb. He slid back his effort wasted.
Dirtsnout made a ways further then he, she was lighter. But she too soon came clattering back to him. They lay in a heap as they disentangled form each other, the other wolves grew silent. Blackpelt called out "can you climb up?" Dirtsnout answered "no brother we cannot, can you come down?" Blackpelt was silent then he spoke "I am sorry sister, but we cannot afford to lose more pack members."
Dirtsnout looked at him "what you mean more? None of us have been lost" Dirtsnout said, Blackpelt turned away from her. He continued on-wards up the slope, one by one the other wolves followed. Dirtsnout was struck into silence, the feeling she felt was terrible, her only kin, her brother had turned his back on her, had left her to die without trying to help.
Tears began to form in her eyes, she howled out to him, pleading for him, where was the brother that had stood by and protected her from the tradition of the wild? The one that saved her from being killed, the one who gave her food at times, who allowed her to shelter with them? Where was that brother she had nestled with beside her adopted mothers side.
The betrayal opened her up and made her feel hallow inside, she thought alphas looked after their pack, that was the way, and here he was walking away from them. Leaving them behind, what would she do now? How would they survive? How would she without her pack? She needed her brother, she had to reach him somehow.
She scrabbled the slope with greater fury putting every last bit of strength into it. But Snowfur's voice spoke "wait, go slow, and wait for me" She paused, she had not thought about Snowfur, she forgot he was next to her. She nodded and did so, but began to slide back she moaned as she expected to fall against cold rock, but found she had fell against something warm.
She turned Snowfur was there standing bracing himself somehow giving her support to lean against as they made their way up the hill. Inching along bit by bit each step seemed to take a sun phase. She allowed herself to look up, Blackpelt was almost near the crest of the hill. She pushed on climbing slowly her spirit of wanting to be with her brother pushing her.
Naruto gritted his teeth as he held himself securely with his chakra, digging down deep past the first layer of shale rock to the stable layer that lie beneath it. It took much control and concentration. He may have been so out of use of using his chakra, but he soon remembered how to do everything once more. Dirtsnout made no comment of how he was able to do such a thing, though he probably guessed now wouldn't be the time anyone's curiosity would get the better of them.
They continued on and were almost half way up the slope, when Dirtsnout thought it must have been okay to forge on ahead faster, only it wasn't, she slid once more, she rolled away from him more to the left, Naruto knew if he didn't catch her or if she didn't stop she wouldn't have a rock to save her.
She screamed in her mind as she slid, her impatience and misjudgment getting the best of her. She scrabbled as she rolled, her instinct was on full charge she wanted to live, she wanted to somehow grow claws that dug deep into the earth to hold her still and firm. In the mad rush of the fall something happened, a sudden flare of fire in her chest, she thought it for a wound, but it spread throughout her body, and to her legs.
Burning and warming her like the sun, suddenly she found herself still and no longer sliding. She gasped and spread her legs about her trying to even out her weight. She stayed like that, her heart beating like the hooves of a Elk in her chest. Snowfur leaped over her and landed behind her. She gaped at him, he should be falling down the hill in a sea of rock but he calmly stayed behind her.
He spoke to her his eyes holding an amazement, and knowing. "Keep the fire burning, move on" She gasped how did he know of the fire she felt? He pushed her ahead and she made her way up the hill, it was hard to concentrate on the fire, she kept thinking of what she had before, claws digging deep into the earth like a wolf digs deep into his prey's haunches.
They finally made it to the trail, they collapsed exhausted on either side of each other, panting. Snowfur recovered first "we must go" Dirtsnout nodded "yes, my kin must know I breath yet still" He looked to her in surprise and in slight disgust. "What is it?" she asked unsure of what to do. "You go back to him, after he left you?" She nodded "I must, he is my kin, my brother, the only one I have."
Snowfur looked as if he was going to say something but he changed his mind and stood "then we must go" he said in a dark tone. He led on no longer being cautious of where he stepped, the ground beneath him seemed to be solid, even though the fire in her had left and she was back to teetering and tottering about.
They made it to the crest of the hill, the pack was already at the bottom resting, Snowfur howled at them, the pack staggerd up, some wagged their tails in happiness knowing that they where alive, they barked and yipped back. Blackpelt did not show any emotion. He said nothing at first when they arrived, he only turned to Dirtsnout, who was expecting her brother to be happy that she was alive, since she was his only sibling.
But no, he spoke gruffly, "don't fall behind again" This was worse then any blow before, worse then when he had left her, did she trully not matter to him? Then why did he permit her to live? To walk beside his pack? To watch his pups? Why did he allow her all of these things but yet hold no affection towards her? Was there something wrong with him, or...with her?
She looked away downcast, was her deformity getting worse that now even her brother was beginning to detest her? She lowered herself to the ground rolling over on her belly the lowest of all positions. Blackpelt only glanced at her and gave a small growl then turned away from her. She rolled over and lay in the dirt, her snout burying itself in the earth, where it should be.
But Snowfur came beside her and nudged her with a paw he kept doing so until she rose then he turned to her and spoke "do not waste time or energy on pleasing him, his true fangs have been bared, know now what wolf is he" Dirtsnout was silent for sometime after.
Naruto stared at her, she had to be, there was no other explanation, at the hill she had used chakra, he felt that flare of a tiny chakra coil begin to work. It moved like an aged clock that had been sitting in the attic for years, it needed only dusting and care and then maybe it would be able to count down time for ages to come.
He stared at her some more, but what kind of demon was she? Wolf yes, but something else, and if she was one, why did she act like a normal wolf? Was she hiding herself? Or did she truly not know who she was? What she was? Her reaction seemed to justify the latter. Interesting, he thought to himself a demon that does not know she is a demon.
He followed the pack from the on solely for the fact of figuring out what Dirtsnout was, he needed to know her past, he needed to know her. So following under the guidance of a deranged and un-caring alpha he made his course.
He first began with the elder wolves and hunters, he had gained enough respect from them where they would permit him to lay with them. He did so then spoke "hunting shall be very nice, once pups old" The other wolves nodded in agreement "what will Omega do without pups to watch? shall she run with us then?" He asked.
The other wolves shook their heads "no, she does not hunt, nor will she ever be allowed to grace the side of a hunter" Naruto nodded "her deformity, it does not allow her?" The wolves nodded "yes, it is strange why Blackpelt keeps her alive" Naruto cocked his head "why, should he not?" The other wolves stared at him "it is the rules of wild, strongest and fit, live to breed, those with deformities are to lay out to die."
Naruto nodded he assumed it was something along those lines. Whitesnip continued "Dirtsnout was found by Blackpelts mother, it was during time of famine, she did not see the deformity, no wolf see until it to late to undo the naming" Whitesnip continued "a wolf who has earned name, earns life, she lives only because her deformity,hidden it was until then."
Naruto was silent for a bit, "she was named Dirtsnout from beginning?" The wolf shook his head "no, her name before...Tanstride, name that was taken and replaced with name of her true title, Omega, the one who eats of dirt." Naruto nodded some of this was making sense. "Why would wolf, take in another mouth to feed when it was hard to feed their own?"
Whitesnip shrugged "females that way, feel sad for pups, want to nurture and care, it is their nature." Naruto nodded "so find Dirtsnout she did, all alone no pack to claim her?" Whitesnip nodded "As though a sky beast dropped her" Naruto nodded understanding his meaning, she just came out of nowhere no one knew her linage, it was a mostly dead end for him, but he had some answers at least.
She lapped water up from a pool, well enough away from the other wolves, he decided to speak "Tanstride" he said hesitantly not knowing if she would react. She whirled around, staring at him "my..name,..you know of first?" Naruto nodded "you never spoke it, I grew restless waiting" She looked away "I am not permitted to answer to, such name."
He shook his head she was so unbelievably ground in her ways, her tradition, the code. When would she learn? He could see that she suffered, that she hated this life, but then she also needed this life. He grew frustrated "why stay where you are forced to eat dirt? Why not go on your own, become lone, hunt alone, live alone, be free of name and meaning."
Dirtsnout looked off in the distance Naruto knew then she had thought-no dreamed of doing such things. "I cannot do such things, fight I cannot, nor hunt, I am weak and deformed." Naruto stepped towards her "do you not, have four legs like wolves? Two eyes? Muzzle? Tail? You are not deformed, you are only different...like me." He said admittedly.
She glanced to him he could see in her eyes that she had certian curiosities about him as well. He spoke "on the hill...that fire you felt, that was something few are born with, it is something no one else in pack has." She glanced to him "I only wanted to live, I do not know how I called it forth, I can no longer do so." She said looking away sadly, Naruto knew she had been trying.
He grinned "I teach you to control, make you strong to hunt, to run, to fight by your own, stand on your own, be pack on your own, LIVE on your own." She stared at him "to what end?" she asked "What would be the point?" Naruto spoke from his experience "So that no other wolf will die because they followed blindly, a foolish alpha."
Yes, this is what I have accomplished for my 50th chapter, the unveiling of a new demon.
Also I hope none of you are confused by the wolf speak, I am trying to convey the sense of limited language and knowledge, but I hope it
is not too strange and hard to follow.
From,
The Forsaken Author of the Lost Story
NSW